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Questions from a passenger!!

Gulfstream757

As a regular user of the Irish rail system I had a few questions, some probably very basic! Thanks in advance

1.Going into malahide there are a few tracks to the side of the northbound track, are these totally out of use?

2.The DART electric wires (sorry don't know the proper name!) extended to the edge of the bridge from malahide, why so far?

3.Whats the 3rd platform at clongriffin for?

4.At conolly is that turntable to the side of the last platform still used?

5. Does the dart always stop at every single station along the line?

6.Before the DART came to portmarnock/malahide were they just served by the commuter trains that still serve them now?

7.Why is it that the commuter trains never stop at any of the dart stations except a select few? Is it simply demand?

8.Is it true there are freight trains running through the night?

Thanks so much!!

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L1011

lxflyer wrote: »

Are we talking crush loading or just some people standing?

The 67s are approaching crush loading by Westmoreland Street in the evening at this stage. They weren't when there was one every 60-80mins.

Trains - just standing; however its not reasonable to expect people to stand on off-peak medium distance services.

LXFlyer

L1011 wrote: »

The 67s are approaching crush loading by Westmoreland Street in the evening at this stage. They weren't when there was one every 60-80mins.

Trains - just standing; however its not reasonable to expect people to stand on off-peak medium distance services.

I was referring to the trains.

Realistically if you've limited numbers standing I don't see the issue - I think there's a but of wanting your cake and eating it to a degree there, but I do see the frequency off-peak to half-hourly at the next timetable change as I posted above.

Gulfstream757

Thought I would add a few more!!!

1.What is the third line at skerries for?

2.Can drivers drive all the different kinds of trains or can they only do one type typically?

3.Has the DART ever gone north of malahide/south of greystones? Being towed for some reason or another?

4. Why is the platform at Gormanstown so long? Train seems to stop way way before the end

5.What are 'fog signals' that drivers carry exactly? And are they used regularly?

Thanks!!!

flyingsnail

1.What is the third line at skerries for?
The third line is called a loop, it allows one train to overtake another

2.Can drivers drive all the different kinds of trains or can they only do one type typically?
What type of train they can drive generally depends on what route the driver normally drives. For instance a Connolly driver that goes to Sligo will drive 22k & 29K stock but may not be able to drive the enterprise stock

3.Has the DART ever gone north of malahide/south of greystones? Being towed for some reason or another?
Yes DARTs are regularly towed to the depo in Drogheda to have work done on the wheels.

4. Why is the platform at Gormanstown so long? Train seems to stop way way before the end
Not sure

5.What are 'fog signals' that drivers carry exactly? And are they used regularly?
They aresmall device that is placed on top of the rail to warn drivers of an emergency up ahead, they make a very loud bang when the train goes over them

Rulmeq

Are the speed limits in mph or km/h?

What are the letters you see in some places about? There's a bridge near Castlerea and there's 2 signs with "V" on them.

GM228

Why is the platform at Gormanstown so long? Train seems to stop way way before the end?

The original shorter platform was at the Balbriggan end, when lenghtened for 6/8 car trains it was made much longer at the Laytown end to allow stopping before the over bridge, if trains were to stop at the very end of the platform the bridge blocks the view of the train.

Are the speed limits in mph or km/h?

MPH

What are the letters you see in some places about? There's a bridge near Castlerea and there's 2 signs with "V" on them.

Vegetation boards for sighting at user worked crossings, if the V board is blocked by vegetation it must be cut back.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

GM228

Fred Swanson wrote: »

C 25 means a temporary speed limit of 25 MPH.
R means Reminder of a TSR esp when starting away from a station.
T is Termination of a speed restriction.

Don't forget the triangle advance warning board.

mikemac2

I do a lot of walking along the Royal Canal between enfield and mullingar and sometimes the trains sound their horn even if there is no level crossing near. Possibly a farmer has gates and calls ahead before moving stock and machinery

Are there signs along the line and the drivers are instructed to sound the horn when they reach one? I think I’ve seen signs in these places but was never close enough to read one, I guess it’s a symbol

Hilly Bill

There are whistling boards approaching crossings.

Losty Dublin

flyingsnail wrote: »

They aresmall device that is placed on top of the rail to warn drivers of an emergency up ahead, they make a very loud bang when the train goes over

It's actually a small detonator that's primed to go off when a train goes over it

Jamie2k9

Are there signs along the line and the drivers are instructed to sound the horn when they reach one? I think I’ve seen signs in these places but was never close enough to read one, I guess it’s a symbol

Black and Amber, usually near bends. Drivers know when to sound at crossings etc already without signs.

Some drivers totally abuse the horn.

Hilly Bill

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Black and Amber, usually near bends. Drivers know when to sound at crossings etc already without signs.

Some drivers totally abuse the horn.

But the women love it 😀.

Itssoeasy

It's not a question but given that loco hauled services are down to a minimum now. I'm assuming the range of locos that drivers were able to drive was much broader in the past due to that flexibility being needed years ago.

Losty Dublin

Itssoeasy wrote: »

It's not a question but given that loco hauled services are down to a minimum now. I'm assuming the range of locos that drivers were able to drive was much broader in the past due to that flexibility being needed years ago.

There's only 2 loco classes in traffic these days, 4 if you want to be really pedantic. Irish Rail have the 071 and 201 and their identical NIR sisters, the 111 and 8208 class. Where there are differences are in local requirements. Those engines allowed to cross the border are fitted with AWS, TPWS, NIR Train Radio and isolation bars, all of which are legal requirements in the UK. Those NIR engines that can cross the border are fitted and CAWS and Irish rail radio equipment. It goes without saying that only drivers trained in the opposite systems can operate cross border.

Rulmeq

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Some drivers totally abuse the horn.

So would I if I were a driver

XPS_Zero

There is something I can ask, as a regular cross border user.

Is every NIR and IE train now certified and able to go north and south?

The Dublin Flyer NIR CAF that does a discount summer trip for Northerners only to Dublin (where the tickets don't work on the Enterprise, as they are like £15 return) I see going to Connolly during the summer.
When the Enterprise revamp was being done, ICRs with a first class section were going up north all the time.
There is an IE CAF (one of our commuter sets) that goes from Newry at the crack of dawn down to Connolly every morning (at least I assume that's what it is since on the NIR timetable it says IE beside it on the timetable)

Thats all of them isn't it? NIR does not have any other type of trains now other than those new CAFs, and all our Mark III's are gone.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

XPS_Zero

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

So the design is physically able, but it needs extra equipment? Whats that? Like electronics/signals stuff?

Jamie2k9

Well NIR are flexible on the rules when they want to be......

[Deleted User]

XPS_Zero wrote: »

So the design is physically able, but it needs extra equipment? Whats that? Like electronics/signals stuff?

Nothing physically preventing it. Offically, only trains equipped with TPWS signalling equipment and NIR train radios can cross the border. In practice, the 29000s do it regularly without having the correct equipment.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

[Deleted User]

Do they still use the 29s as Enterprise substitutions?

Jamie2k9

Karsini wrote: »

Do they still use the 29s as Enterprise substitutions?

Not been many lately (usually Belfast end), 4 ICR has done one or two but it comes down to whats available. The EGV have transformed the service.

I believe there is some easement that allows non equipped 29000's go to Newry only.

So flexible rules....

The Newry commuter has been ICR for a long time now, 29 can go to Belfast when needed.

XPS_Zero

So that's an ICR then, well that would make for a much more comfortable trip first thing in the morning. I was amazed to learn there are people working in Newry and living in Dublin and vice versa, I guess it's only an hour and a bit commute considering some people DRIVE longer than that.

You would think we'd use the same signaling system and have some kind of common network for these things including coms? Isn't that what the likes of the North-South Ministerial Council was meant to be for to harmonize stuff like that.

I suppose we don't even connect Revenue and DSP so they can check each others information on a "customer" (who you'd think would be referred to as a citizen) two different offices in the same government so asking them to harmonize two different rail companies is probably a stretch.

L1011

Karsini wrote: »

Do they still use the 29s as Enterprise substitutions?

3000s seem more common these days. Semi regular to see a set in the yard at Connolly

LXFlyer

XPS_Zero wrote: »

You would think we'd use the same signaling system and have some kind of common network for these things including coms? Isn't that what the likes of the North-South Ministerial Council was meant to be for to harmonize stuff like that.

I suppose we don't even connect Revenue and DSP so they can check each others information on a "customer" (who you'd think would be referred to as a citizen) two different offices in the same government so asking them to harmonize two different rail companies is probably a stretch.

Have you any idea of the cost and scale of disruption that would cause?

It would be astronomical and frankly, for what benefit?

Gulfstream757

Thanks for all the replies,

So to clarify, it's not a case of seniority as to what train you drive? For some reason in my head DART drivers would've been lower ranked?! So that's not true?

I've been on commuters that the driver sounds the horn through every station then others that don't, is this simply at their discretion?

Do drivers usually have to finish their shift at their final destination? Or do they always bring the train back to the depo?

Why are there sometimes drivers at the opposite ends of the train when it's being driven from the far end?

When two sets are joined together are they like that forever so to speak? I.e will the driver cabs in the middle of the train ever be used at the front or do they stay in the same order?

Many thanks!!

end of the road

Gulfstream757 wrote: »

When two sets are joined together are they like that forever so to speak? I.e will the driver cabs in the middle of the train ever be used at the front or do they stay in the same order?

sets are split and joined when and where required usually, so the middle cabs in a double unit for example will be used when those sets operate singly.

Jamie2k9

LXFlyer wrote: »

Have you any idea of the cost and scale of disruption that would cause?

It would be astronomical and frankly, for what benefit?

I completely agree but considering IE will be introducing a new system in the coming years, in theory they could match up but it's not needed.